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发表于 2005-4-28 11:59
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[原创]陌生的城市
将乡人的类似经历转贴过来,其实幸运的不止我一个.
Serendipity in a Winter
(4/25/05)
Years ago, I was teaching at a local high school in my hometown. It was a winter break time. In order to study for the coming Graduate Entrance exams, I went to Changsha to study at Central Southern University, where a friend of mine was student, who also stayed there for the same purpose.
At the end of the study, my friend saw me off through the bus system. It was the last route of the bus, so as soon as I got off the bus, he had to take the same bus back. Then I was supposed to buy a train ticket by myself.
As I inched through the long lines in front of the ticketing hall, I realized my wallet was gone. I searched my pockets, and found some small changes, less than 1 yuan. That was not even enough to take the bus back the university, and letting along buying a train ticket from Changsha to Shaoyang.
I was dumbstruck. And the night was falling, and it was getting colder and colder.
I wondered on the square for a while, hoping to run into some acquaintances or friends. My sadness must have been written all of my face; I could see people were looking at me, some with sympathy, some with indifference.
Fortunately, on the way to the train station, I bought an English-Chinese dictionary, which cost 6 yuans or something. I figured I if I could sell that dictionary for 5 or more, and combine it with the change money I had, I should be able to buy a ticket to Lian Yuan, where I had a classmate who lived in that city.
I started to walk slowly along the seats by the wall, searching for intellectuals or students who might be interested in getting an English-Chinese dictionary.
To my disappointment, there were not so many who had a use of that. And the worst of all, I had never sold anything in my life, besides I was walking like a street vender or a thief. Many just turned away as I approached them.
My round of scanning the passengers in the whole waiting hall failed miserably, I had no luck and I was ashamed of myself, I got really worried and dreaded. I sadly retreated to the seat that I had been sitting before, wondering where this tragic episode would take me.
As fate might have it, a man, who was in his 30-40, with a pair of glasses came to the spot close to me. He looked like a typical intellectual, with eyes reflecting dignity, honest and intelligence, and a facial expression representing calamity and benevolence.
After some debating myself, I pumped up my courage and stood up to try my luck, I realized that he might be my last straw in my drowning situation.
I shuddered, not sure if I was exciting or scared or just being cold. I stammered my situation, knowing he might not believe me because there were so many feigned beggars all over the places, who cheated money and sympathy from the passengers.
To my surprise and delight, he listened intensively with a smile. I asked him for 6 yuans for my English-Chinese dictionary, because it was brand new and cost more than 6 at the bookstore. He squinted at me, and the dictionary, and asked me what my plan was for the night. Then he said: “I’m an engineer at the TianXin Machinery, but I don’t need a dictionary now.” He paused, searching for a better word to comfort me.
I got worried. “I can give you 10 yuans so that get to Shangyang directly, instead of stopping in the middle of the ride at Liangyuan. It’s so cold now and the train will arrive there at mid-night.”
I could not believe what he said; a shiver of gratitude ran up in my spine, tears welled in my eyes. I would have kneeled in front of him if that were appropriate. I thanked him, again and again, and insisted that he take the dictionary if he were to give me 10 yuans. He vehemently refused, and said kindly with a smile: “I can see you are a student, a future intellectual or an engineer, this dictionary has a better use in your hand than in mine.”
I was overwhelmed, asking his name and address so that I can repay him. He insisted it was unnecessary to know all of that, and he did not expect anything back from me. At that moment, the loud speaker announced his train was boarding. He gathered his luggage, and told me not to worry, everyone could run into this kind of situation once a while.
As he ascending on the escalator, he waved me back, and gesticulated me “Go buy your ticket!”.
With torrents of gratitude churning in my heart and tears welling in my eyes, I stood there for a long time until his silhouette disappeared behind the train platform.
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